Wireless headphone advice

[The_Donster]

Hey gang. Not sure if anyone reads these threads on a regular basis, but need some advice. I'm looking for some inexpensive or at least bang for your buck headset for night time viewing. So I'm coming to the experts. I'm considering the Rocketfish™ - Over-the-Ear 2.4GHz Digital Wireless Stereo Headphones, which I can get far cheaper on Amazon than BB website. But I wouldn't getting a step up with a Seinheiser brand headset if they are more reliable. Any suggestions, I'm driving my wife nuts at night.

[crackinhedz]

how do you plan on connecting? to the tv, receiver, or another device?

I only have Sennheiser wired and wireless headphones so my opinion is biased.

[The_Donster]

Probably to the flatscreen upstairs bedroom. I'm not sure I can connect it to the BD player(or I need to?) and only have a soundbar up there at the moment. I'm ok with Seinheiser as long as I'm not breaking the bank. Considering that the Rocket Fish is $90 in stores, I'd much rather spend that money towards a better name brand. I took a quick look on Amazon and it seems there are quite a few to choose from. The big thing for me is I'd like it to be wireless and closer to $100. So any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by The_Donster

Probably to the flatscreen upstairs bedroom. I'm not sure I can connect it to the BD player(or I need to?) and only have a soundbar up there at the moment. I'm ok with Seinheiser as long as I'm not breaking the bank. Considering that the Rocket Fish is $90 in stores, I'd much rather spend that money towards a better name brand. I took a quick look on Amazon and it seems there are quite a few to choose from. The big thing for me is I'd like it to be wireless and closer to $100. So any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

What model TV do you have upstairs? does it have red/white analog audio output or Optical? When listening through wireless headphones from the TV you have to understand that a TV does not support DTS decoding, nor pass through...in essence, any audio into the TV would need to be PCM. (TV's can pass a dolby digital signal from the optical out in certain situations, but for wireless headphones you'd need a Optical to Analog DA converter...more info on this if you need)

[The_Donster]

Vizio 47E0VL. If you go 3 pictures in you'll see what the back of my unit looks like. I've also included a more precise picture that I took. Looks like I can do optical or analog? Right now I have my sound bar taking up the analog, but I have considered connecting this to our Vizio BD player instead. Seems the only time we use it is when we're watching a movie on the player. Anyway, hope this helps you to help me.

[crackinhedz]

Ok, so essentially if you plan to connect from the TV...which is what I do in my bedroom, you have to ensure your player or output device is sending PCM. Reason being, tv's do not decode Dts so this will have to take place beforehand at the output device. Next, TVs are only 2 channel anyway...with exception of Optical which can send 5.1 dolby digital...but again, youre only sending it to headphones so 2.0 stereo is all you really need anyway.

Now, on my old Dynex I was using the analog red/white out to the wireless headphone base. Reception was good but I always noticed some noise in the signal. But for watching TV purpose it was sufficient.

Then when I bought a new Panasonic Plasma it only had Optical output (no analog), so I had to find a way to convert the Optical signal to analog...so I bought this:

FiiO D3 (D03K) Digital to Analog Audio Converter

I noticed immediately the noise I had with the Dynex was 99% gone with the Panasonic...signal was sharp and clear! Not sure if this was due to using Optical output or just the Dynex had a bad internal DA converter.

Anyways, you can always try the red/white analog out first and see how you like it. If you experience noise like me, then you can get the D/A converter.

[crackinhedz]

For Optical output, they make a D/A converter with Dolby Digital decoding if you cannot ensure your devices are sending PCM only.

But it costs a whole lot more.

Gefen Digital Audio Decoder

[The_Donster]

Yes, my digital audio is PCM or Dolby Digital and my analog is fixed or variable on my flatscreen. I'm not sure if that is what you are talking about though? Given this information, which headset should I go with? I need to take a look at that and the cost before I buy something additional.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by The_Donster

which headset should I go with?

Your best bet might be to go with headphones that have good user reviews such as Amazon...as my only opinion is based on Sennheiser. Have never used any other brand headphones.

Some of the Sony wireless look ok from reading I did in the past, but I found a killer deal on eBay for my Sennheiser. Just have to look everywhere for the best deals. Sorry Im no help.

[The_Donster]

No shit man, no shit. I had already did that before I started my post. So are you saying that the Seinhauser aren't compatible with my tv? Isn't there one that isn't going to cost a arm and a leg? Hell, at this point I might as well go with the Rocket Fish Although I do see the RS120 is around $100. Now that's about a $70 difference and I'm wondering if I really need that? Which is why I came to you guys.

[crackinhedz]

Originally Posted by The_Donster

No shit man, no shit. I had already did that before I started my post. So are you saying that the Seinhauser aren't compatible with my tv? Isn't there one that isn't going to cost a arm and a leg? Hell, at this point I might as well go with the Rocket Fish Although I do see the RS120 is around $100. Now that's about a $70 difference and I'm wondering if I really need that? Which is why I came to you guys.

I would have to say just about any wireless headphones will work with your TV, since they should accept red/white analog. (youd have to look into details to be certain, some might even accept optical directly? ...but will probably cost more)

I was only mentioning Sony because I had read good reviews from them and they are usually pretty reliable at a good price...when I hear Rocket Fish I always think "Best Buy" gimmick...but I have never used them before so I really cannot speak on them.

I have the Sennheieser RS120 which I found from a dealer on eBay for $60! (dealer no longer eBay member? )

I use to have a pair of Sennheiser RS110 that after two years went bad on me...probably because my 3 year old likes to wear them and pulls them apart too rough.

I like the RS120 better because it has a recharge base, so you sit the headphones on it to recharge the batteries.

The RS110 and RS120 are essentially the same, except the RS120 is rechargeable. Which I find to be worth the extra $$. I hate watching movies only for the sound to slowly fade out and die in the middle of the movie because the batteries are dead. And then find out I'm out of new batteries!


My TV only has Optical output, so I had to buy the DAC.

Your TV has red/white analog so you do not need the DAC, I only mentioned the DAC in case you get noise in the audio signal. Using the Optical out would clear it up. But you might not even experience this problem.

[crackinhedz]

Check craigslist in your area, I found some great priced RS 120 in my area.

[The_Donster]

Thanks man, sounds like we are in the same boat. I also have a 3 and half year old and he's jacked up 2 of my 360 headsets. I'm going wireless there too, but I can get that from a buddy at Microsoft a bit cheaper if I want. Someone at a local store also recommended a JVC brand that runs off of 900MHz, but for what they're asking I'll go with the RS120. I'd definitely pay the extra money for the recharging factor. It is bad enough when my 360 controller goes out in a critical part of the game. Anyway, I'll look into the Sony and the other one's you recommended.

[nycomet]

I ordered the Sennheiser RS 170 Digital Wireless Headphone with Dynamic Bass and Surround Sound (simulated / faux surround sound that is).

The reason is I need them for night time viewing so I do not disturb anyone.

The reviews seem to be good. I hope I like them. Expect them to get here Tuesday, but the batteries need to be charged.

[Adrock]

Originally Posted by nycomet

I ordered the Sennheiser RS 170 Digital Wireless Headphone with Dynamic Bass and Surround Sound (simulated / faux surround sound that is).

The reason is I need them for night time viewing so I do not disturb anyone.

The reviews seem to be good. I hope I like them. Expect them to get here Tuesday, but the batteries need to be charged.

Great headphones. I have the RS180s, but have heard the RS170s. They are great. Hope you enjoy them.

[The_Donster]

That's a bit over my budget. I ran into the same problem when looking for a wireless headset for my 360. Anything that is truly wireless is in the $250-300 range. That just seems crazy for something I won't be using on a regular basis. I ended up getting the Microsoft Bluetooth ear set for my console. Now I just need to make a decision on what I need for nightly viewing.

[nycomet]

Originally Posted by nycomet

I ordered the Sennheiser RS 170 Digital Wireless Headphone with Dynamic Bass and Surround Sound (simulated / faux surround sound that is).

The reason is I need them for night time viewing so I do not disturb anyone.

The reviews seem to be good. I hope I like them. Expect them to get here Tuesday, but the batteries need to be charged.

Originally Posted by Adrock

Great headphones. I have the RS180s, but have heard the RS170s. They are great. Hope you enjoy them.

I've been using the Sennheiser RS 170 for a few days. What an amazing wireless headphone! The sound is crystal clear and it offers excellent frequency range.

Since I made this purchase so I could watch TV in bed without disturbing anyone, I never imagined just how good the AQ would actually be. I enjoy a good surround sound system in my main TV room. The RS 170 -- with base boost turned on -- is the next best thing. I watched a movie last night and it was almost like having a subwoofer on. The surround sound mode is simulated (nothing like a real 5.1 system), but when activated I can perceive a wider, more expansive sound field. It worked well for the action movie I watched last night.

Wearing the RS 170 feels very comfy and natural. They do not feel heavy, big or overwhelming -- even after a couple of hours of non-stop use. They are adjustable, but I never had to extend the distance of the ear cups beyond the default position. The rechargable batteries reached full power in only two hours. Perhaps they ship partially pre-charged as the instructions claimed it could take about 16 hours.

Some users complain about the control buttons that are on the actual headphone to be difficult to locate. I got used to them very quickly and have no problem locating and operating them by touch. Those who do have issues can use the buttons on the base unit to turn on bass boost and surround sound. For those having trouble finding the volume buttons, simply remove the headphones and eyeball them. Not an issue at all for me.

The signal is strong and I never lost the connection even when I went to the bathroom or ran downstairs to grab a beverage.

The RS 170 might not be for everyone, but for me they are PERFECT. Well worth the price and highly recommended for night time movie and TV viewing when the full surround system would be inappropriate.